


Days

by insight



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: First Time, M/M, Marauders' Era, Post-Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-16 10:14:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7263841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insight/pseuds/insight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James filled Remus in instead, “Sirius wants the bike and Lily wants a godfather who has nothing to do with motorbikes. So , Moony, your name’s come up as the person whom Lily wants to name as godfather.” </p><p>Remus stared and Sirius continued to flick back through his magazine rather violently.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The sky darkened as Remus dried the dishes at the sink. He could feel the aching in his bones increase, a sign of the coming Full Moon. The coming storm only worsened this all and he glanced quickly at his steaming cup of tea and his newspaper on the kitchen table. He dried his hands on the towel and seated himself.

Tea was always good where he was concerned as he sipped at it. Even alcohol could not give him this relaxed feeling. He reached reluctantly for the copy of "The Daily Prophet" and read through the articles detailing Deatheater attacks in Liverpool. By the time he'd finished the article he no longer felt relaxed.

\---------------------------

It was a Friday night and so it was expected that all of them should meet up at the Muggle pub close to where both Remus and the Potters were living at the moment. “The Rat and Panther” was not as fun as where the Marauders had used to meet in the past but the announcement of Lily’s pregnancy had changed them all.

No obvious changes had occurred in James for he had already been protective of his wife, knowing that their Muggleborn-Pureblood marriage was thought to be an insult in the eyes of those who were crazy about the purity of blood. Remus was more concerned about Sirius who seemed to swing between unnatural tameness and uncontrollable energy. 

Remus tugged self-consciously at his threadbare white cotton shirt and tried to forget the stretched quality of the jeans he wore as he walked the short distance from the train station to the pub. He’d bought a bar of chocolate along with him, knowing that Lily had started to long for the sweet. The lightness of this gift in his pocket embarrassed him but he had only just enough to buy a drink tonight as it was. 

He stepped into the warm pub and with a quick glimpse around, Remus caught sight of reddish-brown hair shining next to two black-haired heads in a booth. Remus was sure he would see Peter’s fair hair as soon as he came nearer.

Remus came around to the other side of the booth and was greeted with a tired smile from Lily and a grin from Peter. Remus was grateful that at least Peter seemed to be doing all right with the stress of the War; secretly, he had thought that this friend would be the one to fall apart first and he had felt pleasant surprise when Peter had held up.

Padfoot and Prongs were facing away from him, heads bent together over something, the image reminding Remus of their days at Hogwarts. Remus pulled up a chair nosily and the heads of the two Marauders snapped around. 

“Hallo Remus,” Lily said dryly as Sirius glared and James looked up startled. 

“Moony, did you have to sneak up on us?” Sirius asked but all Remus could stare at was the magazine spread out in front of his friends.

Lily smirked at James, “Well, you boys deserve a scare, now and then. Keeps you alert. Don’t mind these berks, Remus, I think they’re a bit drunk already.” 

Remus sat down after he’d taken out the bar of chocolate and handed it to Lily who grinned and unwrapped it, offering a piece to everyone very unwillingly. Everyone refused and Remus sat amused as he watched Lily finish the chocolate at the speed of light.

As soon as she was done James leaned over and kissed her. Padfoot gave a groan of disgust at the display and went back to flicking through his magazine. 

“Why’re you looking at motorcycles, Pads?” Remus asked soothingly. “Want to buy one,” Sirius grunted petulantly.

Remus’ eyebrows raised and he glanced towards Peter for an explanation but Peter just shrugged and sipped at his glass of whisky. 

James filled Remus in instead, “Sirius wants the bike and Lily wants a godfather who has nothing to do with motorbikes. So , Moony, your name’s come up as the person whom Lily wants to name as godfather.” 

Remus stared and Sirius continued to flick back through his magazine rather violently.

“Lily, I’m honored that you’d choose me but...,” Remus glanced unhappily at her, watching her as her eyes dropped. 

James cleared his throat and Remus could understand suddenly what James’ uncomfortable expression meant: Prongs could not choose between two of his best mates so openly and Peter’s quiet behavior was probably an indication of this awkwardness.

Surprisingly, it was Sirius who broke the silence still glaring petulantly at his magazine. 

“It’s not escaped me, Lily, that you think I’m irresponsible and that you think that Moony’s a better bloke. But Moony’s...already tied-up.” Remus noticed how Sirius tried so hard to be sensitive about this and this never failed to make Remus’ mouth tighten because of how much it was a relic of The Prank. 

James hesitated, seeming to take Moony’s sudden tight expression as nervousness, before adding, “Moony gets sick, Lily, you’ve noticed that, it leaves him weak.”

Lily said quietly, “I know about Remus. I’ve known since Sixth Year. How do you think I allow you to disappear at least one day a month, James? Your excuses were getting silly, love.” This caught the attention of everyone at the table although Remus had always suspected that Lily had known his secret.

Padfoot leaned back and looked at Lily calmly. “Well, Evans, how d’you expect the bloke to take care of the child on that night, if anything should happen to you or Prongs, Merlin forbid and erm...blow on wood.” 

Lily’s mouth quirked briefly at Sirius’ mistake about ‘knocking on wood’ but her voice was just as calm when she replied, “Remus could be married by then.”

Remus felt his mouth open to protest such a ridiculous statement and then shut it reluctantly when he saw Lily’s fierce gaze directed at him. Sirius couldn’t seem to find an answer to Lily’s sharp answer and James began to look thoughtful. 

Remus, however, frowned at Peter and wondered why he wasn’t thought of for godfatherly duties, but then Peter had never been as close to either James or Lily as Sirius or Remus was.

Remus glanced at Lily again and saw her shake her head slightly, probably about Peter since Lily was known to read Remus’ mind and Remus to read hers. This weird bond had used to cause James anxiety because he had felt that Remus was more fitting for Lily than James would ever be. 

Remus and Lily had once played a prank on James using this and though it had given them a great laugh, Remus had always meant for the prank to conclude with Lily discovering James. Remus now looked at the couple in front of him smugly and thought that this Marauder’s prank had succeeded

Remus was shaken out of this memory when he heard Peter set his glass of whisky down hard. He’d finished the drink almost at once as if preparing himself and Remus was confused when Peter simply said in a soft voice, “You know what the solution could be?” 

They all turned to him expectantly and Peter’s eyes seemed to burn suddenly at this attention, before his usual self-effacing smile covered the expression.

Sirius looked bored, James and Lily willing to listen, and Remus smiled encouragingly at Peter. 

“Moony and Padfoot should move in together. It’ll take care of everything. Remus will have a good place to live and Padfoot will have a sensible person around him whom he could try to imitate.” 

A short silence followed this, not least because Peter had dared to mention Remus’ circumstances.

“That will not be necessary, Peter,” Remus said pleasantly though he could feel his face becoming hot at his friends’ stares. 

He had managed so far and that had been the reason his pride had been saved. Remus could endure threadbare clothes and poor supplies of food if he knew that what bought them was money he had earned and not money which had been given to him by his best friends.

James and Lily seemed to know how to behave in situations like these and he could see Lily’s mind working to turn the conversation back to safer waters. However, she did not think for Sirius.

“Brilliant idea, Wormtail, better even than Prongs’ idea, Seventh Year, about the Slytherins’ showers and all the mud off the Quidditch pitch.”

Remus closed his eyes and tried to calm himself, “I am not moving in with you, Black.”

“Whyever not?” Sirius asked innocently enough. “My flat’s big enough, you need a place, I wouldn’t mind a roommate who’d tell me about what charms the mums into naming a bloke godfather to their precious sprogs. What’s not to love about this, Moony?” 

Calm was not possible when one was in Sirius Black's presence. 

“I don’t need charity,” Remus said with frustration. “And before you say that it isn’t charity, give some thought to the idea that your roommate is not going to be someone who’s easy to live with at certain times of the month,” Remus added.

Sirius blinked and stared at Remus with his light grey eyes. Remus held his gaze and tried to look feral which he thought wouldn’t be too hard with the ache in his bones and the sharpness to his teeth. He supposed it must have worked when Sirius looked away. 

Lily’s voice cut across the tension, however, “Really, Lupin, you needn’t be so proud all the time. We’re allowed to worry about you. James never says it but he’s wanted you boys to feel as if you’re part of the family.” 

James moaned and covered his face with his hands. Remus felt some amusement at James’ obvious embarrassment at Lily revealing less-than-masculine feelings.

Lily looked accusingly at Remus while thumping James. Remus stared back at her and jumped a little when he saw Padfoot’s hand come into his vision. 

He transferred his gaze to his friend’s face and saw Sirius take a deep breath in, “Remus, it’s not out of charity. I’d want to have you as a roommate because you’re good company and you laugh at my jokes even when they’re bad. You’re a tidy mate and that’s more than I can say for myself.’ Sirius continued in a quieter voice, “As for the Moons, there’s not one that goes by where I’m not worrying about how you’re preparing for it or recovering from it.”

Sirius’ face was faintly red by the time he’d finished and Lily’s face was surprised. James was looking a little recovered from his own embarrassment at the appearance of Sirius’ feelings. Peter simply looked pleased at the way everything was turning out.

Lily seemed to realize that Sirius’ words might help to get Remus’ agreement. She thought that if Sirius could show this much sensitivity at the start of his rooming with Remus, what miracles could be achieved with the permanent presence of Moony? She was willing to beg Remus to move in with the git when she realized this. She looked up towards Remus, green eyes shining, when she was caught by the way he looked towards Sirius.

There was fondness in Remus’ gaze and a mild exasperation as well. Lily knew that expression well as James could make her feel the same way. She observed Sirius’ glance as well. The cool grey of the boy’s eyes (“Man’s” Lily found herself correcting, unwillingly) was warmer with color. Sirius’ expressions usually didn’t include anything but boredom and so this expression was intriguing.

Remus moved in his chair and Lily held her breath. “If you’re that desperate Pads, I’d better move in,’ he said finally. Lily grinned a wide grin, James coughed to hide his pleasure and Sirius smiled.

No one seemed to notice Peter’s lost look when he realized that he did not seem to be part of this group anymore. However, the lost look was soon replaced by a look of bitter pleasure at the way he could guide the fates of his friends. 

But bitterness was the last thing on the other Marauders’ and Lily’s minds as they gave toasts to the baby and to the end of the War, believing sadly that their unbreakable brotherhood would be the key to their wishes.


	2. Chapter 2

The day that Remus decided to move in with Sirius, it rained. 

“Bloody hell,” Remus muttered, dragging his trunk up the stairs and trying to ignore the wetness dripping onto his hair. 

Sirius had already Levitated the heavier trunk of books up the stairs without any thought that the Charm might fail and the trunk would come crashing down. Remus was not as certain that the spell could get the second trunk up the stairs to Padfoot’s flat. So he struggled with the damn case and looked up, breathing hard, to find Sirius sitting at the top of the stairs looking interestedly down at him. 

“Some help would be good here,” Remus said unsmilingly.

“I took your other trunk up, Moony,” Sirius reminded him. “You’re on your own with this one, especially since you are a qualified wizard and this is a First Year Levitation Charm.”

Remus gritted his teeth. “I would use that charm but this is a public Muggle stairway--” 

Sirius interrupted him. “We both know that’s not the real reason holding you back from using the charm because we're of age now. Remus, the Ministry hasn't a single thing against you. You’ve been educated at Hogwarts, they can’t touch you even if your trunk should go crashing down the stairs, though you’d have to be absolute rubbish at magic for that to happen. You shouldn’t let those Ministry idiots scare you off.”

Remus felt like banging his head against the wall. This was why it had taken him a month to finally move in with Sirius: the restrictions put on Remus as a werewolf seemed to always be incomprehensible to Sirius. Somehow, though, in Remus’ mind, was the idea that he loved Sirius for this: that Padfoot saw Remus as a friend long before he could see a Dark Creature.

Right now, however, Sirius was driving Remus mad and Sirius probably knew that. 

Sirius was sensitive like that, Remus thought sarcastically. Obviously, now was the time for Remus to tell Sirius about how he would use his magic. 

“Padfoot, this might come as something of a surprise to you but not everything has to be solved by using magic and yes, you’re right about why I don’t use it. I am probably 'scared off' but it isn’t without reason. The Ministry could take my wand away for the smallest incident and as a registered Dark Creature, I would have very few rights that would allow me to protest,” Remus stated evenly.

Sirius’ face darkened at these words and he picked himself up off the stairs, carelessly flicking his wand at Remus’ burden in the process to Levitate it up the rest of the stairs and through the open door of the flat. 

Remus tiredly climbed the rest of the way up the stairs and rested his back against the wall of the stairwell. 

He heard Sirius sigh and settle back down again, next to him. “You’re a bit of a coward, Lupin,” Sirius muttered without malice. 

Remus shrugged wearily against the wall. “I like to be cautious, Sirius, although I suppose you could see it as cowardice if you were feeling uncharitable.”

“Well, certainly, Remus, you’re not on charity here, mate,” Sirius replied. Remus laughed.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The fact that Sirius had chosen to train as a Healer never failed to surprise Remus. Sirius was brilliant, it was true, but patience had never been his strength. Remus had always thought that Sirius would end up as an Auror as everyone else had. Even James had shown astonishment at Sirius’ sudden ambition, in Fifth Year, to become a Healer where before Sirius had been in love with the idea of being an Auror.

Remus did not really like to think about that Year much because everything about it seemed to fade away around The Prank. Thoughts of The Prank only led to thoughts of how much Sirius had betrayed him and Remus was not built to think about his friends in such a way. It was enough to know that Sirius had appeared to be near tears in the few moments that he had given his apology for that. Remus had seemed to feel forgiveness being drawn out of him though he had controlled himself to appear aloof for the rest of that Year. The friendship had healed itself but Remus could still feel wariness where Padfoot was concerned.

Remus sometimes liked to think that he had caused the change in Sirius’ career plans even though it was a selfish thought. It wasn’t unreasonable to think so too because although Remus had forbidden the Marauders to accompany him on Full Moons the rest of Fifth Year, Sixth Year had revealed the great Healing skill that Sirius had somehow developed. Remus had never felt so well-cared for post-Transformations before then and sometimes he had imagined Sirius’ voice whispering comfortingly.

Yes, it was strange that Sirius was a Healer and not a trainee Auror like James. It was strange also to see Sirius walking around the flat listing diseases and their treatments as Padfoot was doing at the present. Remus, himself, lay on a very dilapidated couch, clutching his old Defence and Transfiguration notes. He was preparing for a job that James had arranged for him, a job which he had been desperate to get but which the Ministry had denied him from because of his Dark Creature label.

He had wanted to be an Unspeakable ever since his father had sat him upon his knee and told him of how Unspeakables knew of the creation of the universe and why Remus might exist. As he’d grown older, his interest had increased when he’d realized that Unspeakables also acted as guard-keepers against Dark knowledge being created and distributed. It had been through the failure of an Unspeakable that Dementors had been brought into being.

Remus had felt that he was right for the job because he loved Defence Against the Dark Arts and he had the same talent for Transfiguration that James and Sirius had had, Transfiguration also being a necessary. Gaining top NEWTs in both the subjects, however had done nothing to change the rules that stated that a Dark Creature could not be employed as an Unspeakable and Remus had felt bitterly disappointed. Two years on, now, and James had informed him that he’d pushed for Remus to be accepted as an Unspeakable with the help of the Head of Aurors, Alastor Moody, who was a decent sort and quite influential.

Remus had an interview in three days’ time and he was revising his notes, resolving that they would not refuse him because he was not smart enough for the job. 

Hopeful also that they would not refuse him because of anything else. 

Sirius paced by muttering something about ‘tropical diseases' and 'fever-reducers’ which made Remus feel lazy for lying on the unbalanced, puce couch.

Remus wiggled his toes the next time Padfoot passed him and wasn’t surprised when Sirius quickly reached down and pulled at his big toe. He’d always felt puppyish in Sirius’ company. He felt himself stretch and, predictably, Sirius tried to poke a finger into his stomach, Remus expecting that leaned back. Consequently, Sirius dropped his notes with a curse as he lost his balance and toppled down onto the floor.

“Remus,” he grumbled and raked his black hair away from his face. Sirius settled onto the couch as Remus stood up smugly. As Sirius waved his wand and muttered the incantation to get his scattered notes, Remus moved towards the kitchen, intent on making tea and looked back over his shoulder to ask, “Padfoot, want a cup of tea?”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remus had always been aware that Sirius was handsome. Sirius’ popularity with the girls had been a rough indicator of just how good one of his best mates looked. Remus would never look that good with his scars, long nose and thin lips but he’d dated enough attractive girls himself to know that he was alright-looking. Sirius liked to joke that Remus had ‘animal magnetism’ but Remus didn’t really see what the joke was about since all attraction was a bit animalistic to begin with.

Now, once again lying on the couch later that evening, he looked at his flatmate pacing the length of the room and felt a sudden sense of love that someone would take him in. Remus had forced Sirius to let him pay part of the rent and now he could see that Sirius sharing his flat really wasn’t Sirius showing charity. His friend wrestled with him, laughed with him, ate with him, and occasionally listened to him.

Remus began to feel uncomfortable as he felt his affection for Padfoot seem to double in the passing of each second. He glanced down at his notes but almost immediately glanced back up at his friend. Sirius had sat himself on the edge of the couch and placed his notes on the floor. “What say you to a nap, Moony, old friend?” Remus laughed but made room, “I’d say there was no room but if you insist…”.

Sirius grinned and settled himself to the side. Remus shifted so that he could fit himself to Sirius, tucking under his friend’s chin and then starting when he realized what kind of position they were in. Sirius’ arm, however, slipped over him and gathered him close. 

”Always want an armful of you,” Sirius said calmly, breathing in deeply. Remus grunted a little uncomfortably but pressed his nose to Sirius’ strong throat and slipped his hand over Sirius’ back so that he could drop his notes onto the floor. They eventually fell asleep like that.


End file.
